


Good advice

by velocitygrass



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-01-29
Updated: 2009-01-29
Packaged: 2018-07-24 10:28:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7504792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velocitygrass/pseuds/velocitygrass
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I had a little run-in in my office. It's nothing serious," Elizabeth said, letting Jennifer take her hand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Good advice

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to neevebrody for the beta! Written for the The Show Goes On.

"Oh, what happened?" Jennifer asked, gently putting her hand on Elizabeth's arm and guiding her to sit on one of the infirmary beds.

"I had a little run-in in my office. It's nothing serious," Elizabeth said, letting Jennifer take her hand.

"You should let _me_ be the judge of that," Jennifer said kindly, but determined, as she examined Elizabeth's hand.

"Fair enough," Elizabeth conceded. "It was a gift from Teyla. A little casket with what I _thought_ were decorative knifes on them," she said ruefully.

"Ouch," Jennifer said sympathetically. "Thankfully it's not too deep." She moved aside to one of the cabinets. "I'll just clean it up, and you'll be on your way."

"You don't have to do it yourself. I know you have a lot to catch up on."

"I _want_ to do it," Jennifer insisted, taking Elizabeth's hand and beginning to clean the wound. "This is the _fun_ part of the job. When I get to help people like you." The smile that played on her face turned wistful as she continued, "At least I know what I'm doing here."

"You always do," Elizabeth said, watching Jennifer work with precision and care.

Jennifer snorted. "I _am_ slowly settling into... _this_ ," she said, glancing quickly around the infirmary. "But I'm glad to have others I can count on. I don't know what I'd do without Marie. I still feel like I'm in _way_ over my head."

Elizabeth just looked at her for a moment. "Why?" she eventually asked.

Jennifer looked up from Elizabeth's hand to her face. "The things that happen here _every_ day..." she began.

"I know," Elizabeth said, smiling in acknowledgment, but then her look turned sharp. "But I think you're qualified to deal with _all_ of it. You've seen what we've had to deal with in the last couple of months. What exactly is it that you think you _can't_ do?"

Jennifer looked surprised by the question. "I...uhm."

Elizabeth smiled. "You'll do _fine_."

Jennifer gave her an almost shy nod. "It's just all so new," she said, turning her attention back to Elizabeth's cut.

"It's another _galaxy_. Nobody is expecting you to know everything," Elizabeth said. She got a faraway look for a moment. "God knows we've all made mistakes." Her gaze returned to Jennifer. "But we do the best we can. And it has to be enough. We don't always know what's coming, but we can't let fear paralyze us," she said, her voice rising a bit as she spoke. "If we'd been afraid we couldn't handle it, we would _never_ have stepped through the gate. Or sent people to the moon or learned to _fly_."

Jennifer looked at Elizabeth, taken by her words. Her hand was resting over Elizabeth's wrist, and she began to stroke her thumb over the soft skin until she realized what she was doing and stopped, letting her gaze drop.

"Have you talked to Kate?" Elizabeth asked quietly.

Jennifer looked up again. "Yes. And it's not... I'm okay. I know that I can do this even if it won't be easy. And I _will_ do my best."

"That's all I'm asking," Elizabeth said with a gentle smile, slightly lifting her hand towards Jennifer's.

Jennifer gave it a small squeeze in return. "I just... I just don't want to disappoint anyone," she admitted. "I don't want to disappoint _you_ ," she added, flushing slightly. She bit her lip and narrowed her eyes in concentration as she went back to dressing the wound.

Elizabeth watched her silently for a moment. "You won't," she said softly.

Jennifer finished working on the bandage, just holding Elizabeth's hand for a second before she let it go. She swallowed and looked up. "Good as new," she said with a slightly forced smile.

"I told you you'll do fine," Elizabeth said, lifting the hand.

There was an awkward silence for a moment until Elizabeth gracefully slid from the infirmary bed. "So, I hear you always have sweets for the Athosian kids," she said with a twinkle in her eyes.

"You're not a kid," Jennifer pointed out with a grin. Then her gaze wandered down to Elizabeth's chest, and she straightened and flushed, averting her eyes. "I meant..."

Elizabeth smiled widely. "I think it's _good_ I'm not a kid anymore. Even if I won't be able to enjoy the sweets. Being an adult has...other compensations."

They shared a long look.

Then Jennifer abruptly went to her desk and got something out. She handed Elizabeth a chocolate bar. "It's from my Dad. He always sends them since I mentioned they're hard to get here. It's his way of still taking care of me."

"Oh. I wouldn't want to... I'm not sure I can accept—" Elizabeth began, pushing the chocolate back towards Jennifer.

"No, please do," Jennifer said, folding Elizabeth's long fingers around the bar with her own. "I'd _love_ to share it with you."

Jennifer left her fingers curled around Elizabeth's. Elizabeth looked at their hands and then up at Jennifer's face. "Share?" she asked, swallowing.

Jennifer nodded, her eyes never leaving Elizabeth's, her hand still firmly around Elizabeth's.

Elizabeth looked at her for a long moment. "You know that this... It might not be a good idea," she said seriously.

"I know," Jennifer said without hesitation. "But someone once told me that we can't let our fears paralyze us."

Elizabeth looked at her, a smile slowly forming on her lips. "My mother sent me a nice bottle of Bordeaux a while ago. I was saving it for the right occasion."

"My shift is over at seven. Barring any unexpected incidents, I could join you in your quarters then."

Elizabeth nodded.

Jennifer reluctantly let go of Elizabeth's hand.

Elizabeth turned and walked towards the door but turned around again. "I'll be waiting for you."

"Don't start without me," Jennifer said playfully.

Elizabeth parted her lips, her cheeks flushing.

"I meant the chocolate," Jennifer amended with a smirk.

"I'll see what I can do, but I won't make any promises," Elizabeth said, looking Jennifer up and down. "Seven."

"Seven," Jennifer confirmed with a wide smile, watching Elizabeth as she walked away.


End file.
